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It is now more than fifty years
since I first entered an individual chess championship. The Hull &
District Chess Association Junior Individual Championship 1970 was
organised by R. P. Ross and scheduled to take place on 4th and 11th
December at Carron House, 78, Beverley Road, Hull – at that time the home
of Hull Chess Club. The building was either owned or rented by the
Amalgamated Engineering Union but is now residential accommodation divided
into flats. I cannot recall the number of entrants but assume that the
figure was less than 16 as the event took the form of a 4 round Swiss
tournament. To the best of my knowledge, all of the competitors were in the
16 to 18 years age range and attending local grammar schools or Hymers
College. Each round lasted 1½ hours and my records suggest that a time
control of 32 moves in ¾ hour was in operation. Unfinished games were
adjudicated by the organiser.
Round One.
The opening round in many Swiss
tournaments gives rise to mismatches because of a significant disparity in
the playing strength of the competitors. I won relatively comfortably in
just 24 moves.
(1) Mills, D.G. - Matthews, ? [D20] Queen’s
Gambit Accepted.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship (1),
4.12.1970.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4
3.Nc3 The
website that I use gives this move as the 4th most popular choice but with
a win/draw/loss ratio of around 46/21/33. 3...Nc6 Black wins just
17% of games featuring this variation. 4.Nf3 e5 Very rarely played. 5.d5
White won the two games in my database featuring this variation. 5...Nce7
Out of the book. 6.e4 A practical choice. No pawn snatching when
I can outplay this person positionally. 6...Bg4 7.Bxc4 c6 8.0–0 Bxf3
9.Qxf3 b5 Dreadful. The 'sacrifice' that follows took little time to
select. 10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Black is lost whatever he plays. 11...Qd7
12.Bxd7+ Kxd7 The remainder is a mopping up exercise. White simply had
to avoid blunders and reach the time control. 13.Rd1 Ng6 14.Qxf7+ Kd8
15.Be3 Nf6 16.Rac1 Nxe4 17.Rc7 Be7 18.d6 Re8 19.Rxe7 Nxe7 20.dxe7+ Kc8
21.Qxe8+ Kb7 22.Rd7+ Kc6 23.Rd8+ Kc7 24.Qd7# 1–0
Round Two.
The reward for the
Round One win was black against R. C. Newman who played in the same Riley
High School team as me as well as in the Hull Grammar Schools Chess League
team which featured in Hull & District Chess Association competitions.
Bob regularly adopted the French Defence against 1. e4, including casual
games with me. I subsequently added it to my repertoire. The outcome of
this contest hinged on an oversight by white on move 24 which lost a rook.
(2) Newman, R.C. - Mills, D.G. [B94]
Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship (2),
4.12.1970.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 6. ... e6 is by far the most popular
choice. I was only starting to adopt the Najdorf Sicilian 7.Bc4 g6 Still
theory but not overly popular. 8.Qd2 Bg7 9.0–0–0 0–0 10.f4 Departing
from games in my database. In the game Alexander Motylev - Maxim Matlakov,
World Blitz 2015, white chose 10. Bh6 and a bishop exchange took place on
h6. Black won in 36 moves. 10...b5 11.Bb3 Bb7 12.Rhe1 Qc7 13.Nf3 Rfc8 Black
seeks play on the queenside to counter white's central push. 14.e5 Bxf3
15.gxf3 dxe5 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.fxe5 Rd8 18.Qf4 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 e6 20.Qh4 I'm
not sure what white was trying to achieve here. He simply loses a pawn.
This could be a case of the 'retained image mistake'. The 'e' pawn was
defended by a rook at e1 up to move 19 and white subconsciously thinks it
is still on that square. 20...Qxe5 21.Re1 Qc5 22.Ne4 Nxe4 23.Qxe4
Rd8 24.Qe3? Perhaps he hoped to exchange the queens and rooks and hold
a bishops of opposite colour ending? However, ... 24...Qxe3+ 25.Rxe3 Bh6
0–1
Round Three.
My next opponent
was Eric Myers who attended Hymers College. Already a member of Hull Chess
Club, he played in their Yorkshire League Woodhouse Cup team but I do not
know if he was at that level of ability in 1970. Suffice to say that he was
by far the strongest competitor in this event, adopting openings unfamiliar
to the rest of us. A year earlier I had faced him on board one in a Riley
High v Hymers College Hull Grammar Schools Chess League match, losing in 23
moves when he adopted Pirc’s Defence. This time I tried 1. d4 and went down
in 16 moves facing the Albin Counter Gambit!
(3) Mills, D.G. - Myers, E. [D08] Albin
Counter Gambit.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship (3),
11.12.1970.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 Correct. I had no
knowledge of this system! 3.dxe5 d4 4.Nf3 At least I avoided 3. e3? 4...Nc6
5.e3? Down the rabbit hole! 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 dxe3 7.Bxb4 exf2+ 8.Ke2
Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Nxb4 10.a3 Nc6 A game in 1998 saw white winning from this
position in 55 moves by preventing a bishop pin by 11. h3. White is often a
psychological wreck by this point if he/she has no experience of the Albin
Counter Gambit. It took only a few moves for Eric to put me out of my
misery. 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.Be2 0–0–0+ 13.Kc2 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Nd4+ 15.Kb1 Nb3
16.Ra2 f1Q+ Wipe-out! 0–1
Round Four.
Immediately
following the above reverse, I faced another player from Hymers College,
surname ‘Swain’. In the light of what had happened earlier, I took some
pride in being able to play and win a sharp, tactical battle.
(4) Swain, ? - Mills, D.G. [B95] Sicilian
Defence. Najdorf Variation.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship 1970 (4),
11.12.1970.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 The second most
popular variation in my database, but a long way behind 7. f4 which offers
white superior chances. 7...Nbd7 My database shows black winning
twice as many games as white after this move. 8.0–0–0 Be7 I would
now prefer 8. ... Qc7 which prevents white's next move. 9.Bc4 0–0 10.Bb3
Departing from my database that quotes Luis M. Santos v Stephen James,
Skopje Olympiad 1972 which went 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11.Nxe6 Qa5 12. Nxf8 Nxf8 13.
Nd5 Qxd2+ 14. Rxd2 Nxd5 15. Rxd5 Bxg5+ 16. Rxg5 and 1–0 in 47 moves. 10...Qc7
11.f3 Nc5 12.g4 Nxb3+ 13.Nxb3 Rd8 14.h4 b5 The standard pawn advance
attacks when players castle on opposite sides. 15.h5 Had white
tried 15. Bxf6, I would probably have replied 15. ... Bxf6, and considered
exchanging on c3 15...b4 Black's attack arrives first. 16.Ne2 a5
17.h6 g6 18.Qe3 a4 19.Nd2 d5 If black is able to play ... d5 without
disadvantage in the Sicilian Defence, he/she is usually at least equal and
possibly better. 20.e5 d4 I think that the tactics which follow show
this to be valid. It is a good practical try at the fast time control of 32
moves in 45 minutes. 21.Nxd4 Nd5 22.Qe4 Bxg5 23.Rdf1 Ne3 24.Nb5 If
24. Qxa8, the following fascinating variations could arise. a) 24. ... Nxf1
25. Rxf1 Rxd4 26. Rd1 Rxd2 27. Rxd2 b3 28. axb3 axb3 29. c3 Qd7 winning.
b). 24. ... Nxf1 25. Nb5 Bxd2+ 26. Kd1 Qc4 27. Qe4 Ne3+ winning. c) 24. ...
Nxf1 25. Rxf1 Rxd4 26. Rd1 Rxd2 27. Rxd2 Qd7 winning. d) 24. ... Nxf1 25.
Nb5 Bxd2+ 26. Kb1 Be1 27. c3 Rd1+ 28. Kc2 Ne3#. e) 24. ... Nxf1 25. Nb5
Bxd2+ 26. Kb1 Be1 27. b3 Rd1+ 28. Kb2 Qc3+ 29. Nxc3 Bxc3# I saw some
of this but obviously, not all of it. 24...Qxc2+ 25.Qxc2 Nxc2 26.f4 Ba6
27.Nc7 Bxf1 28.Nxa8 Rxa8 29.Kxc2 Bxf4 30.Nxf1 30. Rxf1 is no better. 30...Bxe5
31.Ne3 Rc8+ 32.Kd3 Bxb2 Adjudicated a win for Black. 0–1
Eric Myers became
Junior Champion with a perfect 4/4, winning a year’s membership of Hull
Chess Club and several books. Four competitors – R. C. Newman, G. H.
Shepherd, P. J. Gathercole and me – scored 3/4, so a play off for second
and third places was required. It was agreed that Bob Newman and I would
play our game before the following Friday while Shepherd and Gathercole
would do the same. The other games would be played on 18th
December.
Play off. Game One.
I cannot recall
where this fixture was contested or even the time control that we used. My
best guess is we agreed a three-hour session on the Wednesday night at Hull
Chess Club. Having played Bob so many times, we both tried to gain an
advantage by following unfamiliar paths. No Najdorf Variation after 2. ..
Nc6. No Open Sicilian after his 3. d3. This game has remained a favourite
over the intervening years because I foresaw a long variation leading to an
advantageous, if not winning, position.
(5) Newman, R.C. - Mills, D.G. [B30]
Sicilian Defence.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship 1970 (5),
16.12.1970.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d3 It
came as a surprise to me that my database includes nearly 3,000 games
featuring this move. 3...g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 e6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.Be3 d6 8.0–0
Nd4 9.Bxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 e5 Finally departing from the games in my
database. Two contests feature the move 10. ... Nc6, white and black each
recording a win. 11.c3 dxc3 12.Nxc3 0–0 12. ... d5 was a
sharper possibility. 13.Qb3 a6 14.a4 Preventing black expanding with
... b5 in the future. 14...Qc7 15.Rac1 Be6 Anticipating the line
that follows.
Position after 17.
… Be6.
16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.Rxc7
Bxb3 18.Rxe7 Bxa4 19.Rxb7 Rfb8 20.Rxb8+ Rxb8 21.Ra1 Rb4 22.Ra2 Bb5 23.Ne1
Rb3 24.Bf1 I
envisaged this position, or something like it, when choosing move 15 and
the win of the 'b' pawn as white's pieces are all tied to defence. 24...Bh6
25.Be2 Bc1 26.Bd1 Rxb2 27.Rxb2 Bxb2 The 'd' pawn will also fall in a
few more moves. 28.Bb3 Bc3 29.Kf1 Bxe1 30.Kxe1 Bxd3 31.f3 The key to
winning this ending is black's 'a' pawn which will draw white's king from
the centre. 31...Kf8 32.Kd2 Bb5 33.Kc3 g5 34.Bc4 Making
black's task even easier. I should have exchanged bishops here as my pawn
is better on the 'a' file rather than the 'b' file but the position is
still won. 34...Ke7 35.Bxb5 axb5 36.Kb4 Ke6 37.Kxb5 d5! 38.Kc5 dxe4 38.
... d4 also wins. 39.fxe4 f5 40.exf5+ Kxf5 41.Kd5 h5 42.h3 h4 43.gxh4 If
43. g4 Kf4. 43...gxh4 44.Kc4 There is still time for black to go
after the pawn at h3 and be stalemated! 44...e4 45.Kc3 Kf4 46.Kd4 Kf3
0–1
Play off. Game Two.
Back to Carron
House and white against G. H. Shepherd, who I believe attended Hymers
College, but cannot be certain. Play becomes very sharp around move 13 and
especially difficult to assess at 32 moves in 45 minutes! From move 16
onwards I tried to consolidate a slight advantage by solidifying the centre
and later pressurising black’s queenside. After winning a pawn on move 26,
the next few moves see this converted to having 3 pawns for a knight with
black’s pieces awkwardly placed. At adjudication time the ‘d’ pawn’s
advance wins material.
(6) Mills, D.G. - Shepherd, G.H. [E24]
Nimzo-Indian Defence. Sämisch Variation.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship 1970 (6),
18.12.1970.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 The
Sämisch Variation. White accepts a damaged pawn formation in return for the
two bishops and eventually hopes to open up the position to their benefit.
Black tries to block the position when his knights will hold sway. 4...Bxc3+
5.bxc3 d5 One of the less popular options on my database. In order, 5.
... c5, 5. ...b6, 5. ... 0–0, 5. ...d6 and 5. ... Ne4 each show black
winning more games in this line. With 5. ... d5 white scores better. 6.e3
0–0 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0–0 Ne4 11.c4 Ndf6 In the game
Sergei Tretjakov - Martti Maki Torkko, Oulu 1998, black chose 11. ... c6,
winning in 47 moves. Maintaining a pawn on d5 appears to be the more solid
option. It was still there at the end of that game. 12.Ne5 Nd7 It is
dangerous to hesitate, especially in games with fast time controls. 13.cxd5
Nxe5 At this point black may have anticipated something like 13. dxe5
Rxe5 14. Bxe4 Rxe4. White can build a pawn centre but material is much
reduced. Another possibility is 13. dxe5 Qxd5. If 14. f3 Qxe5 or 14. Bxe4
Qxe4 and advantage to black. (14.Bxe4 Qxe5 15. Bxh7+ Kxh7 16. Qc2+ Kg8 17.
Bb2 and I believe white is slightly better.)
Position after 13.
… Nxe5.
14.Bxe4 Ng4 15.f3 Is black able to maintain
the knight on g4 for an attack? I don't believe so..a) 15. ... Rxe4 16.
fxe4 Qh4 17. h3 b) 15. ... Qh4 16. fxg4 Bxg4 17. Bf3 c) 15. ... Qh4 16.
fxg4 Rxe4 18.Qf3 Re7 19. h3 (I believe that this is the best try but in a
messy position white is slightly better.) 15...Nf6 16.Bd3 Qxd5 17.Re1
Bd7 18.Kh1 To vacate the a7 g1 diagonal. 18...Kh8 Possibly
preparing a square to which his knight may retreat? 19.Qc2 Qc6 20.Qxc6 Even
as a teenager, I liked the look of an ending with two bishops on an open
board. 20...Bxc6 21.e4 Rad8 22.Be3 Ba4 23.Rac1 Rc8 24.d5 b6? Perhaps
he feared me trying to snatch the pawn at a7? Unlikely in view of ... b6,
burying my dark square bishop. 25.Ba6 Rcd8 26.Rxc7 Rd7 27.Rxd7 Nxd7
28.Rc1 Nb8 29.Rc7 Nxa6 30.Rxa7 Black must lose more material. The e3
bishop undertakes many duties, covering c1 to prevent rook checks, covers
g1 if the rook does check on the back rank and will take the black knight
if it moves to c5 to defend the bishop. 30...Bb5 31.Bxb6 Kg8 32.a4 Bd3 Adjudicated
a win for white by R. P. Ross. He first asked how I intended to proceed and
I mentioned advancing the 'd' pawn to win material as it threatened to
promote. 1–0
Play off. Game
Three.
Crunch time! I
cannot recall the other scores but did know that a draw would give me the
runners up position. I think that my opponent was a pupil at Hull Grammar
School when this game was played. He subsequently became a member of the
Hull Grammar Schools Chess League team in which I played during season
1970/1971 and captained in season 1971/1972.
(7) Mills, D.G. - Gathercole, P.J. [A85]
Dutch Defence.
H.D.C.A. Junior Championship 1970 (7),
18.12.1970.
1.d4 f5 My first encounter
facing the Dutch Defence. 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 Be7 5.Bd3 0–0 6.e4 Over
ambitious, opening the position when black is ahead in development. There
are no other examples of this move in the database that I use. 6...fxe4
7.Nxe4 b6 8.Nf3 Bb7 9.Nxf6+ Bxf6 Black has an excellent position. 10.Qc2
g6 11.Bxg6?! Unsound against best play. After 11. ... hxg6 12. Qxg6+
Bg7 13. Ng5 Rf6 14. Qh7+ Kf8 white's 'attack' grinds to a halt. There are
more defenders than attackers! 11...Qe7 12.Be4 d5 13.Bd3 Nc6 14.Bd2 Nxd4
15.Nxd4 Bxd4 Black has regained his pawn and has the better game. White
cannot leave his king in the centre and does not fancy castling kingside so
opts to exit stage left, leaving the 'f' pawn to its fate. 16.0–0–0 Rxf2
17.Rhf1 White is in a mess but at a fast time control, hopes to confuse
the issue 17...Raf8 18.Rxf2 Rxf2 19.Rf1 Rxg2 Exchanging rooks would
have taken white's bishop off the b1– h7 diagonal and significantly reduced
the opportunity for cheapos. 20.Bxh7+ Qxh7? 21.Rf8+! Ouch! 21...Kxf8
21. ... Kg7 22. Rf7+ is even worse. 22.Qxh7 Bxb2+ 23.Kxb2 Rxd2+
24.Kb3 dxc4+ 25.Kxc4 Bd5+ 26.Kc3 Rxa2 Black does his best but the queen
on an open board has plenty of options and opportunities for double
attacks. 27.Qxc7 Usefully covering the h2 pawn. 27...Ra1 28.Kd4 After
dubious play earlier in the game, moving my king towards the black monarch
before the pawns can start to advance makes sense. Threats of mate will
limit black's chances of counterplay. 28...Ra5 29.Ke5 Bc4+ 30.Kf6 Rf5+
31.Kg6 Bb5 When writing this article, I initially wondered why I had
not played 32. Qd8+ with a view to 32. ... Be8 33.Qd6 + Kg8 34. Qxe6+
winning a rook. The answer is that 32. ... Be8 is check and after 33. Kh6
or h7 Rh5#!! 32.Qg7+ Ke8 White claimed a draw at adjudication time
and this was granted by R.P. Ross. After 33. Qxa7 Bd3 34. Qb8+ (Taking the
b6 pawn allows a discovered check, winning the queen.) 34. ... Kd7 (34. ...
Ke7 allows 35. Qc7+ and the perpetual check white seeks.) If the king
advances, the pawn at b6 is lost with check while a retreat leads to
perpetual check. ½–½
Second place in my
initial tournament was a reasonable performance, especially having regard
to the playing strength of the winner. My prize was a wooden travelling
chess set with plastic pieces and a metal board. My dad provided a lift
home and was delighted with my achievement, despite the fact that he knew
nothing about chess. I used the set on a regular basis, subsequently
placing it in his coffin with some other items when he died in 1996.
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